by Rickie Blair
Ruby halted with her hands on her thighs.
“Hari, we have to go back.”
“No, look, there’s a light up ahead. The drain is coming to an end.”
Ruby squinted at the tunnel ahead. There was a dim light. Not bright, but a steady glow. Relief flooded over her. They crouched and made their way to the exit, their shoes slipping and sliding on the mud.
Hari came to a halt.
“Bloody hell,” he said, slapping the wall with one hand.
Ruby edged around him. “What’s wrong?”
The drain had come to an end and an open storm channel beckoned beyond. They had found a way out, but a metal grate completely covered the exit. They tried to pry it open without success. It was solid. They couldn’t shift it even an inch. Grasping the bars with both hands, Ruby peered out.
“Maybe we could call for help. Someone might hear us.”
“Like Luca?” Hari shook his head. “There’s another option. We passed a smaller drain a few yards back. It’s not big, but it was dry, and we could hide there. Luca and his gang can’t hang around outside for long. Eventually the sun will come up and people will notice. If we can stay hidden until then, they might give up.”
It was a long shot, but the only one they had. Ruby shook the metal grate in frustration and turned to follow him.
The smaller drain was about four feet off the ground. Ruby stepped onto Hari’s interlocked fingers so he could heave her up to the entrance. She scrambled in and crawled to the back to make room. Hari rested both his hands on the edge, hoisted himself up and scrabbled in after her. The drain was only four feet in diameter and they had to sit. Ruby sat, leaning against the wall. Then with a shudder, she rolled onto her feet and crouched, taking care not to touch the wall behind her. There would be spiders in the drain, poisonous black widows probably. Not much point in escaping Luca only to be killed by angry arachnids. She reached out and tapped Hari’s knee.
“Talk to me.”
“What about?”
“Anything, I don’t care. Just … keep talking.”
“Remember when that bastard tried to look in your window at our rooming house in Queens?”
“When you burst through my door in your Superman pajamas with a baseball bat? How could I forget?” Ruby chuckled. She and Hari had been performing arts students with adjacent rooms.
“Could you focus on my heroic gesture for once, and forget about the pajamas?”
“I know, they were a gift from your mother. Or so you said. Although you probably hadn’t done your laundry in weeks and those were the only pajamas you had left that wouldn’t get up and walk away.”
“Enough with the pajamas.”
She couldn’t see his smile in the dark, but she knew it was there.
“Finish your story.”
“My point,” his voice cracked, “my point is that I wanted to protect you then, and I still do. I won’t let anything happen to you, Ruby.”
“I know.” She hugged his arm and he put his hand over hers. They stayed that way for a long while. Eventually, she pulled her arm away.
“But I can take care of myself,” she said in a brisk tone. “You saw what I did to Sam.” She drew a sharp breath, fear twisting her gut. “Do you think Sam will be okay?”
“I don’t know. Luca’s a dangerous man, and he’s done unspeakable things. I saw pictures…” Hari’s voice trailed away. “Ana showed us crime scene photos of mutilated bodies. She claimed they were Luca’s handiwork. Ruby, you have to understand. What I did, it was because she convinced me you would be in danger if Luca knew you were with me. I wanted you to go back to Los Angeles. I wanted you to be safe.”
She placed a sympathetic hand on his arm.
“Because of Leta? Hari, you have to stop blaming yourself. She fooled us all.”
“I know that now. I’m only sorry it took me so long to figure it out.” He gave a heavy sigh. “It’s not because of Leta. It’s because … I can’t live without you.”
Her heart stopped beating for a moment and then leapt into her throat.
Hari, I—”
“Shh,” he interrupted, moving to the entrance. “Did you hear that?”
Voices. Coming closer.
He edged his head around the opening, then ducked back.
“They’re in the secondary drain and headed this way,” he whispered.
“Will they find us?” she whispered back.
“They won’t be able to miss us if they come this far. Check behind you. Can we get out?”
“No,” she said, crawling back a few feet and touching the ceiling, “the drain gets even smaller back here.”
“I’ll duck out to draw them away. When they chase me, you run in the opposite direction.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“You can get help and come back for me.”
“No.” Ruby reached for his arm, but caught only air. She jumped out to race after him, but tripped in the darkness.
“Hari,” she called, struggling to her feet, “Hari. No.”
Gunshots echoed off the walls ahead so she skidded to a stop, her heart hammering. Shouts rang out in the tunnel, followed by footsteps, and more shouts, and another shot.
Then silence.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Zeke ducked his head to peer around one end of a Town Car parked underneath the Starlight Casino.
“There are too many security guards, Norris. They’ll see us if we try to sneak in.”
Norris crouched on the ground, peering under the car.
“Maybe we should just leave this to Hari,” he whispered. “What can another day hurt?”
“I told you. I have to get to my computer and figure out who planted those emails. They could be deleting the evidence right now.”
Norris rolled over and sat up with a sigh.
“Then we’ll have to draw the guards away from the entrance.” He rummaged through his pockets and drew out a dozen casino chips.
“What are you going to do with those?”
“Watch.”
Norris got to his knees and heaved a chip over the car’s roof. Two rows over, a car alarm sounded.
Beep, beep, beep…
He heaved another chip. Another alarm went off.
Hrr, hrr, hrr…
Two more chips, two more alarms.
Beep, hrr, beep, hrr…
Zeke raised his hands to his ears and ducked under the Town Car to check the guard station. He gave Norris a thumbs’ up.
“They’re running. Let’s go.”
Zeke’s heart was in his mouth as they darted between parked cars with their heads down, racing for the elevator.
Beep, hrr, beep, hrr, beep, hrr…
When the elevator door opened, they plunged inside. Zeke ran his card through the slot while holding his breath. The light beeped green and he pushed the button for the eighth floor, shaking his head.
“I can’t believe they fell for that.”
The floors flashed by on the elevator screen. Six. Seven. Eight. A chime sounded as the doors opened.
Iain Oliver stood in the hall facing them, arms crossed. Zeke gasped and frantically flapped his hand against the control panel. Oliver reached out an arm to stop the doors.
“Get out here.”
Oliver marched them along the hall into a small room with a desk and two chairs. After grabbing Zeke’s sword off his shoulder, he threw it on the floor next to the door.
“Sit.”
“If I can get to my computer,” Zeke said, “I can prove I didn’t write those emails.”
Oliver leaned back against the desk, eyeing them both.
“Why should I believe you?”
Zeke’s heart thumped against his ribs and he swallowed hard.
“Ask Hari Bhatt. He’ll tell you that I sent him the password for the auction site earlier tonight.”
“Then why don’t I have this supposed password?”
“I don’t know.”
Oliver pushed off from the desk to pace.
“And you—” he twirled and pointed at Norris, “found the address on a casino voucher, is that right?”
Norris nodded while his eyes tracked Oliver around the room.
“Yes. And you chased me, remember?”
“Maybe. We get a lot of riffraff.” Oliver returned to the desk. “Mr. Watson is at dinner presently. When he gets back, he can decide whether you’re telling the truth or not.”
Zeke raised his hands.
“But the auction ends at midnight. Don’t you want to clear this up before then?”
Oliver rolled his lips as he lowered his brows at him.
“You’re persistent, I’ll give you that. One of my men will drive you to the restaurant and you can talk to Mr. Watson there.” He rose, turning at the door to point a finger at them. “Don’t try to leave.”
Once the door had closed, Zeke retrieved his sword and slung it back over his shoulder with a scowl.
“I hate that guy. Did he really chase you through the casino?”
“Oh, yeah. He was spitting, he was so furious. How is fifty-four dollars worth risking a coronary? He had just thrown out Luca when he saw me grab the chit.”
Zeke stared at him, dumbfounded.
“Oliver saw you grab that voucher?”
“Yeah, like I said, he—”
“How did he know the address was on it?”
Their eyes widened as the truth hit them at the same time.
“Oh, my God, Norris, that drop—”
Norris finished the thought.
“—was meant for Oliver.”
“We have to get out of here,” they said in unison.
They wrenched open the door and darted along the hall into the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time. When they reached the basement parking garage, Norris slammed both hands against the metal panic bar to open the exit door. Zeke glanced up at the security cameras in the ceiling.
The alarm blared as the door opened. They bolted to the far wall.
“We have to get to the drain,” Norris panted. Zeke nodded, puffing as he tried to keep up, his chest burning.
“Stop!”
Footsteps thundered behind them, echoing against the walls. Norris veered around a parked van and dashed into a black tunnel. With a final panicked glance behind, Zeke followed him in.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Ruby’s heart hammered like a piston as she waited in the dark tunnel. Lights flashed. Had they caught Hari? She sidled along the drain while crouched down, carefully peering around the corner. There weren’t any lights and no more shouts. She took a cautious step ahead, then another. She sprinted for the entrance, picking up speed as she went, remembering Hari’s words.
You can get help and come back for me.
A light flashed in her face and she slid to a halt. She held one hand above her eyes, squinting, trying to see.
“Get her,” came a voice from the darkness.
Rough hands yanked her and wrapped a rope around her wrists, pulling it tight. Someone cuffed her face and she gasped and turned her head, spitting out the coppery taste of blood.
The light was still blinding as hands grabbed the rope and jerked her ahead. Ruby stumbled, fighting to stay on her feet as unseen figures pulled her about twenty yards. The bright light shifted to the far wall and she blinked rapidly as her surroundings gradually became less blurry.
Hari lay on the ground, his head and shoulders sagging against the wall and his legs stretched out in front of him. Ruby’s heart rose into her throat. He wasn’t moving.
“Hari?” she whispered hoarsely.
Luca sauntered into view.
“He’s not dead. Yet.” He kicked him in the ribs.
Hari groaned and opened his eyes. His gaze fell on Ruby. He gave her a defeated look, shook his head once and closed his eyes again. With a start, she realized that blood stained his sleeve.
Luca gestured at Roman, who grabbed the ropes around Ruby’s wrists and flung her against the wall. The concrete smashed into her back and she gasped in pain. Roman shoved her onto the ground next to Hari. Roman unfastened the chain around Hari’s wrists, threaded it through a metal rung embedded in the concrete wall at floor level, and wrapped it around Ruby’s arms. He refastened the chain, tethering them both to the rung while they lay flat on the ground. Ruby shivered as cold water soaked her shirt. The trickle down the center of the drain had become a steady stream. Her feet lay in several inches of water, and it was rising.
Luca crouched beside her and chuckled.
“It’s raining. Not much, but it doesn’t take much to flood this city. Fortunately, Las Vegas has an efficient storm drain system that flushes out the crap. Including, I expect, Zeke Turner.” He ran a finger down Ruby’s face, digging his fingernail into her skin. “Try not to get too wet.” He nodded curtly at Roman. “Let’s go.”
Ruby shivered again as the circle of light cast by their flashlights bobbed up the drain, growing gradually smaller and dimmer until it disappeared, leaving her and Hari in darkness.
But not silence. The sound of rushing water—along with the cracks and creaks of wood, plastic piping, and empty cans crashing into the walls—echoed through the drain. She tugged with desperation at the chain, trying to sit up, but could raise only her head and shoulders above the ground. Her kneecaps were now submerged. She winced as a piece of wood slammed against her.
She jumped at Hari’s voice beside her.
“I think we can get above the water if we adjust the chains.”
“Oh, my God, you’re awake.” Relief swept over her. “Are you okay? What happened to your arm?”
“Luca’s helper got in a lucky shot, that’s all. It’s fine. Look,” he said, pulling up on the chain with his other arm, “there’s some slack. We have to pull it out.”
“I don’t think I can, Hari. I can’t get my hands free.”
“If we turn sideways, we can tug ourselves up against the wall. It’s worth a try.”
Ruby struggled to turn on her side to face him, gasping as dirty water splashed against her face and into her mouth, her shoulders aching from the strain of holding up the chain.
They inched up the wall. After ten minutes of effort, the chain was taut and they had gained six inches. Not nearly enough. The water was still rising and picking up speed. And when they relaxed for even an instant, the chain’s weight dragged them back down.
“Hari?” Ruby said, trying to keep her voice from wobbling.
“Yes, love?”
“I’m sorry about number five.” She heard his chuckle even over the rushing water.
“Yeah, me, too.” His voice was strained. “Ruby, I want to tell you—”
“No. We’re going to get out of this and when we do, you can tell me whatever you want. Until then, I’m not listening.”
“But—”
“Don’t make me do la-la-la.” She tugged at the chain again and swore. “Come on, Hari, you’re the genius here. Think of something.”
“If I move closer to the floor, that will create more slack in the chain and you can get above the water.”
“That’s your big idea? To drown yourself?”
“I’ll hold my breath. The water might not even get that high.”
She opened her mouth, but couldn’t get any words past the ache in her chest. Finally, she huffed out a breath.
“Remember when they said at Stanford that you were so smart? They were wrong.”
“It’s a good idea.”
“It’s the worst idea you’ve ever had.”
“Ruby, listen to me, please.” There was panic in his voice. “I can’t let you drown.”
“No. Don’t even think about it.”
“Let me try it.” There was a splash as his head slipped below the surface.
“No,” Ruby screamed, “Hari! No!” She tugged on the chain with a much force as she could. The links cut into her hands.
“Help,” she screamed, “so
mebody help!” Her throat convulsed with sobs while the chain slipped lower.
Someone shouted back.
Her head jerked around. Was Luca returning to savor his final victory? She didn’t care.
“Help!” she screamed again.
A circle of light bobbed up the drain.
“Ruby? Is that you?” Two figures splashed over to them.
“Oh, thank God,” she said, spitting out water.
Norris handed his penlight to Zeke before yanking Hari above the surface. Hari gasped, spit, and shook water from his hair.
“What were you doing?” Norris asked.
“He was holding his breath,” Ruby said with a snort of disgust. “You scared me half to death, you bastard.” Hari coughed up more water and gave her a sheepish grin. Ruby turned to Norris and yanked up on the chains. “Can you get us out of this?”
Kneeling beside them, Norris tugged on the chains and grimaced.
“I can’t break these, but Zeke can.”
“Me?” Zeke gave him a blank look. “How?”
A steel pipe rolled along the floor, bouncing off Ruby’s legs. The surface of the water was now level with her chin so she tried to inch her head higher.
“Do something, guys,” she said in a wobbly voice, “anything.”
“Zeke, your sword,” Norris said. “Use your sword.”
“I’m not sure it will work.” Zeke pulled the katana from its saya. “These blades aren’t meant for this kind of thing.”
“You cut a guy’s head off with it.”
“I know, but it was only luck that I didn’t break the steel. I think it was because I swerved around,” Zeke demonstrated, “with the sword in both hands,” he demonstrated again, “like this—
“Oh, for God’s sake.” Norris stood up, grabbed the sword from Zeke’s hand and swung it against the metal rung. The clang of metal hitting metal echoed off the walls and reverberated through their bones. The rusted rung broke in two, and the chain fell off and splashed into the water.
Zeke stared, open-mouthed, while Ruby and Hari lowered their arms, scrambling to their feet.
“Wait,” Norris said, “stay back.”
They stepped to either side as he swung the blade again to sever the chain. Norris handed Zeke the sword as Hari helped Ruby to her feet. Norris then untangled the chain from their wrists, letting it splash into the water.
